Otranto
An old seaside town at the easternmost tip of Italy, with a white old town inside walls, a bright blue harbour and the tragic history of the Ottoman siege of 1480.
Otranto is the easternmost town on the Italian mainland, on the Adriatic coast, and lies about 80 km across the strait from Albania. The old town inside the walls consists of white stone houses and narrow lanes. A seaside path looks over the clear harbour and a small beach within the town. In 1480 Ottoman forces captured the town, and about 800 residents who refused to convert were killed. Their remains are still displayed in the cathedral. The old town includes the cathedral, the Aragonese Castle and the small Byzantine church of San Pietro. Otranto is about 45 km from Lecce, served by regional trains and summer buses. In peak season, parking outside the walls is charged.
Opening hours
All day
Nearby sights
- Otranto Cathedral
- Aragonese Castle of Otranto
- Bauxite Quarry Lake
- Baia dei Turchi
- Punta Palascia Lighthouse
- Faraglioni di Torre Sant'Andrea
- Torre dell'Orso
- Grotta Zinzulusa